Amanda Giles, New Homes Director at Move Reports, explains why plot-by-plot local searches are so important – and why some search companies are failing their customers

A traditional local search is primarily designed for secondhand property transactions.

Dependent upon the stage of construction, the local search, especially at the site release stage, will contain very limited amounts of information. This is why the major developers and plot purchase conveyancers partner with Move Reports to provide a bespoke New Homes search product relying on our expertise in both the commercial land purchase and residential portfolio sector.

Our plot-by-plot commitment to local searches helps eliminate unnecessary work and delays, bringing financial benefits to solicitors and faster completions for developers.

Many search providers take a broad brush, development-wide approach that often leads to inaccurate results. This also includes some conveyancing professionals or firms that still may consider applying outdated and unwanted insurance by the lender and the buyer.

Simply put, the less rigorous providers will complete the local searches for an entire development and copy and paste that information for each individual plot.

More often than not, this is not going to produce accurate results that can be trusted, particularly if you are dealing with a sprawling development of 500-plus homes and different phases of construction.

For example, one plot on the development might be affected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) and that absolutely needs to be flagged in the local searches – but it won’t usually impact many, if any, of the other properties.

The list goes on with shared drives, limitations to the Section 38 road adoption and so on.

The Move Reports bespoke New Homes search will also identify coal issues on a specific plot and not focus on site wide. It’s the same with flood impact zones affecting parts of the site only.

You simply may not be aware of your search provider’s procedures in providing searches for New Homes, and why should you? Why take that risk? Simply follow your peers by using a tried and tested New Homes product designed to remove enquiries and provide the best protection.

That’s our pledge at Move Reports: no copy and paste jobs that bundle an entire development together as if every plot is identical, but rather a thorough, honest examination of each specific new home.

That’s why we are the UK’s No 1 and trusted by hundreds of developers and solicitors with our searches used on thousands of plots nationwide. You may also want to also explore our unique offering of No Exchange/Completion – No Fee which removes the need to wait for client funds on account.

Contact me today at agiles@movereportsuk.com or call 0121 400 0145 to learn more.